When it comes to creating a successful email campaign, there are several key points to keep in mind.
The Basics
The first step is to set up your email marketing software. There are several popular email marketing platforms like MailChimp, Infusionsoft, and AWeber that can be used to build and send out your email campaigns. Once you have set up your account, you will need to consider what email template you want to use for your campaigns.
Creating a brand-new email template is easy. You can use the template wizard in the software to pull together an email that will look professional and appeal to your subscribers.
Subject Lines
When crafting the subject line of your email, you need to consider a few key points.
Your subject line should reflect the content of your email. If you are sending an email that is asking your readers to click a link or watch a short video, then your subject line should include these inviting elements. Be sure to use a few words in your subject line to grab the attention of your subscribers.
Your subject line should also match the recipient(s) of your email. You can have one subject line for a list of recipients or you can have multiple subject lines with different approaches.
Content
What you put in your content is key to creating an engaging email campaign. The perfect blend of sales and value will draw your readers in and keep them engaged through to the end.
You can use several methods to attract your readers. For example, you can write an informative article about a trending topic or you can provide an intriguing summary of an intriguing book.
The length of your content is also important. Your subscribers have different reading habits and might skim over emails quickly if they are too long. Keep your content concise and interesting.
Timing
Timing is everything when it comes to crafting an effective email campaign. You want to send your emails at a time when your readers will be most engaged and likely to act on your messages. While there is no set formula for this, you can use various tactics to determine the best times to send your emails.
For example, if you are trying to promote a website, you might want to send your visitor traffic a few days before the end of the month to push them towards a purchase. Or, if you are trying to grow your email list, you might want to send a series of emails to encourage your subscribers to engage. (Learn more about Email list building)
Testing & Optimization
Testing is a critical stage of any marketing campaign. You want to be sure that your campaign is as effective as possible before going live with it. To maximize the results of your testing, you can use various tools that will track the performance of your campaign. (Get A Free Trial Account To Test All Of These Tools)
However, you should never, ever use the results of a single test to determine the success of an entire campaign. Instead, you should look at the performance of your entire email list over time to determine the effectiveness of your campaign. Luckily, tools like Email Marketing Manager make this easy. With your Email Marketing Manager account, you can connect all of your accounts (like MailChimp, AWeber, and HubSpot) and see all of the campaign metrics in one place.
Personalizing
Customizing your emails is a great way to make them more engaging. You can include pertinent information about your subscriber (like their name or mailing address) or you can highlight content that is relevant to what they’ve chosen to look at in the past. This content personalization can be done by using a combination of tags and dynamic content.
Personalized emails are more effective because each email is more like a one-on-one conversation with your subscriber. They are also much less likely to be flagged as spam because their email address is not in a massive list. (Learn more about why personalized emails are effective)
Varying Your Approach
Sometimes, one size does not fit all when it comes to marketing. Especially when you are starting out, you might want to try several tactics to find what works best for you.
For example, if you are trying to grow your subscriber base, you might want to try a few different approaches to see what resonates with your target audience. Do you want to use videos or blogs to attract them? What about social media or email newsletters? Once you know what works best for you, you can choose a single approach and apply it consistently to every project.
Building An Email List
One of the most effective ways to grow your business is to get started with email marketing. Setting up a list of interested parties is a simple but critical step towards dominating the email landscape.
You can take advantage of companies like ConvertKit, MailChimp, and HubSpot that can help you get started with a simple list building procedure. Once you have your email list, you can use email marketing with confidence to grow your business.
The more you put in, the more you get. This is particularly important when it comes to email marketing because you are constantly offering something of value to your subscribers. They might not always want what you are offering, but they will always need something from you. (Learn more about why you should always be offering value in your marketing)
Additional Considerations
As a marketer, you might want to look into a paid topic manager or email list manager to get the most from your efforts. These tools can automate the management of your email lists and help you track the performance of your campaigns. (Learn more about these tools)
To get the most out of your email marketing, you need to put in the time to learn how to use the tool effectively. Take some courses or read the books from O’Reilly Media if you feel that you need some training. Then, you can sit back and watch the stats roll in as you get ready to grow your business.